Stratos Investment Management LLC Decreases Holdings in Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW)

Stratos Investment Management LLC lowered its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies, Inc. (NYSE:LOW) by 14.5% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The firm owned 3,338 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock after selling 564 shares during the period. Stratos Investment Management LLC’s holdings in Lowe’s Companies were worth $824,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of LOW. IFS Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies in the fourth quarter worth approximately $25,000. Legacy Investment Solutions LLC acquired a new stake in Lowe’s Companies during the 3rd quarter worth $27,000. Winch Advisory Services LLC grew its holdings in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 56.4% during the fourth quarter. Winch Advisory Services LLC now owns 122 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 44 shares in the last quarter. JNBA Financial Advisors lifted its stake in shares of Lowe’s Companies by 555.6% in the third quarter. JNBA Financial Advisors now owns 118 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $32,000 after buying an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Finally, MFA Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in Lowe’s Companies by 118.6% during the third quarter. MFA Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 129 shares of the home improvement retailer’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.06% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Lowe’s Companies

In other Lowe’s Companies news, EVP Quonta D. Vance sold 7,198 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $274.37, for a total value of $1,974,915.26. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 16,703 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,582,802.11. This represents a 30.12 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 0.26% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

LOW has been the topic of several recent research reports. Loop Capital upgraded Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and boosted their target price for the stock from $250.00 to $300.00 in a report on Wednesday, October 9th. Sanford C. Bernstein upped their target price on Lowe’s Companies from $301.00 to $304.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, December 12th. Evercore ISI increased their price objective on Lowe’s Companies from $270.00 to $290.00 and gave the stock an “in-line” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 12th. StockNews.com raised Lowe’s Companies from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 17th. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus increased their price target on Lowe’s Companies from $265.00 to $270.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seventeen have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Lowe’s Companies presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $280.85.

Lowe’s Companies Price Performance

LOW opened at $257.23 on Wednesday. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $258.63 and its 200 day simple moving average is $257.58. The stock has a market cap of $145.24 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.45, a P/E/G ratio of 2.18 and a beta of 1.11. Lowe’s Companies, Inc. has a 1-year low of $211.80 and a 1-year high of $287.01.

Lowe’s Companies Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 5th. Investors of record on Wednesday, January 22nd will be given a $1.15 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Wednesday, January 22nd. This represents a $4.60 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 1.79%. Lowe’s Companies’s dividend payout ratio is presently 38.37%.

About Lowe’s Companies

Lowe’s Companies, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a home improvement retailer in the United States. The company offers a line of products for construction, maintenance, repair, remodeling, and decorating. It also provides home improvement products, such as appliances, seasonal and outdoor living, lawn and garden, lumber, kitchens and bath, tools, paint, millwork, hardware, flooring, rough plumbing, building materials, décor, and electrical.